Puzzle.



No. '794,919'. PATENTBD JULY 18, 1905, U. D. H. BLAKENEY.

PUZZLE.

APPLIoATIoN FILED JULY 2e. 1904.

g il w f3 HHMNL f ffm' l Z7 2'? i im Milli-mill s z z l s i i I l lnuentoz UNITED STAT-Es Patented July 18, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,919, dated July 18,1905. Application filed July 26, 1904. Serial No. 218,248.

To (LN, 1071/0711, t may concern:

Beitknown that I, CLARENCE D. H. BLAKE- NEY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Freehold, in the county of Monmouth and State of NewJersey, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Puzzles, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to puzzles; and its object is to provide a devicehaving a plurality of tiers of pockets which communicate.

Another object is to employ spherical garnepieces adapted by the propermanipulation of the puzzle to be moved through the pockets of the uppertier to an opening of said tier and then through the pockets of thelower tier to the outlet-opening.

Vith the above and other objects in view the invention consists of a boxor receptacle having an opening in the bottom thereof, and arrangedabout this opening' are vertical partitions which form communicatingpassages and pockets, so that when a spherical gamepiece is depositedwithin the box it requires considerable dexterity to move it through theproper passages until it arrives within the opening. Arranged above thebottom of the casing is a horizontal partition, on which are formedpassages and pockets which extend around an opening.

The invention also consists of the further Y novel construction andcombination of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, showing the preferred form ofmy invention.

In said drawings, Figure l is a top plan view of the puzzle. Fig. 2 is asection on line 2 2, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3, Fig.2.

Referring to the figures by numerals of reference, 1 is abox-liliecasing having an open ing 2 in the bottom thereofl adjacent the center.Arranged upon the bottom of the casing adjacent the sides thereof arevertical partitions 3 and 4, which form passages 5 between them and thesides of the casing. Extending from one end of the partition 4is anotherpartition 6, which is removed from the end wall of the casing to form apassage 7. This partition 6 does not extend to the adjoining end ofpartition 3, but is removed therefrom to form an inlet-opening from thepassage 7 to a passage 8. This last-mentioned passage is formed betweenthe partition 6 and a partition 9, which is parallel therewith andextends from the partition 3. A partition or wall 10 is arranged on thebottom of casing 1 between the ends of partitions 3 and 4 and has wallsl1 and 12 extending from its ends and between and parallel withpartitions 3 and 4. These walls 11 and 12 form passages 13 and 14between them and the adjoining partitions 3 and 4, and inwardlyextending walls 15 and 16 project from partition 9 and between andparallel with walls 11 and l2. Passages 17 and 18 are formed between thewalls 11 and 15 and 12 and 16, and these passages open into a centralspace 19, in which the opening 2 is located. Arranged on the partitionsand walls which are located upon the bottom of casing 1 is a horizontalpartition 20. This partition 2O has an opening 21 therein, which isdirectly above passage 8, and interposed between the opening' 21 and onewall of the casing 1 is a partition 22, forming a passage 23 between itand the wall. Parallel partitions 24 and 25 extend from the ends ofpartition 22, and interposed between them and the adjoining walls ofcasing l are partitions 26 and 27, which form passages 28, 29, 30, and3l. An inwardly-extending wall 32 projects at right angles frompartition 25 and terminates at a point removed from the adjoining end ofpartition 24. A wall 33 also extends at right angles from one end ofwall 27 and parallel with wall 32. This wall 33 does not extend to theadjoining' end of wall 26, but is spaced therefrom, and the centralportion of wall 23 is cut away to form a passage 34. A partition 35isinterposed between wall 33 and the adjoining wall of casing land formspassages 36 and 37 at opposite sides thereof. The ends of this wallaline with partitions 26 and 27. /Valls 38 and 39 of different lengthsextend from partition 22 and between the partitions 24 and 25, andprojecting at right angles from the long wall 39 is a wall 40, having apassage formed between it and the wall 38.

In using this puzzle gaine-pieces in the form of small spheres areemployed. Preferably three of them are used and the three are placed inthe passage 22. To properly solve the puzzle, it is necessary tomanipulate the casing l so as to cause the game-pieces to travel frompassage 22 through any of the passages formed upon horizontal partition2O and to finally fall through the opening 2l into the passage 8. Itwill of course be understood that all of the passages which are formedbetween partition 20 and the bottom of casing l are invisible, andtherefore considerable diiiculty will be experienced in so manipulatingthe casing as to cause the gamepieces to pass through the properpassages below partition 2O until they are discharged through theoutlet-opening 2. The partition 2O is removable from the casing l, so asto enable the game-pieces to beextracted from any of the lower passagesshould it be found impossible by the user to properly solve the puzzle.

In the foregoing description I have shown the preferred form of myinvention; but I do not limit myself thereto, as I am aware thatmodifications may be made therein without `parallel with and spaced fromthe bottom,

normally vertical partitions arranged upon the horizontal partition andbottom and serving to produce tortuous passages upon each, the bottomand partition being provided with escape-openings, said openings beingdisposed remote from the walls of the boX and in relative non-alinementand the tortuous passage between the bottom and partition bein-gconcealed from view.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE D. H. BLAKENEY.

Witnesses:

WM. E. CURTIS, CHAs. E. VAN DERVEER.

